Rates of chitin degradation in an estuarine environment

In vitro chitin degradation rates in pure cultures and in mixed natural cultures have been determined and compared with those of other workers.In situ studies in the salt marsh shrimp nursery grounds along the southeastern Louisiana coast showed that chitin degradation was most rapid (118 mg d^–1 g^–1 chitin) when water temperature averaged 30C. Maximum degradation rates were noted at the water-sediment interface and when substrate particles were reduced in size (0.25 cm²). Of the several types of chitin tested, including treated and untreated, native chitin was most rapidly solubilized. Microbial populations on this substrate developed more rapidly, suggesting that chitin degradationin situ is a function of initial colonization. This is further supported by the observation that degradation rates were most rapid when total bacteria, chitinoclastic bacteria, and the ratio of chitinoclasts to total bacterial biomass (15.6 %) was greatest.